Generator for gas-mantle lamps



Dec. l, 1936. T. H. STAFFORD GENERATOR FOR GAS MANTLE LAMPS Filedoct. 1e, 1931 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\N\\k.NKZ

Patented Dec. 1, 1936 UNITED STATESI PATENT s "OFFICE M GENERATOR. FOR GAS-MANTLE LAMIS Thomas H. Stafford, Meredith, N. H. Application October l16, 1931, Serial No. 509,175A

4 claims. (C1. sv-50) i This invention relates to portable lamps, and has particular reference to that type of lamps which generate gas from a liquid fuel such as kerosene and gasoline, and employ mantles which 5 are heated to incandescence by the burning gas..-

In a heretofore known lamp of this type the fuel is contained in a reservoir or font, and is under pressure which forces it up through a feed tube and into a vaporizing chamber located to receive heat from the incandescent mantle or mantles, so as to gasify the liquid fuel. The vapor then passes through a somewhat tortuous passage to which air is admitted and mixed with the gas vapor, and the mixture then issues from one or more nipples having mantles of a well-known type attached thereto.

Lamps of this type require that occasional access be had to the generator to keep the passageway therethrough `free from obstructions. A`

diiculty has been found to exist in regard to the filter tubes. Such tubes usually have fillings or wicks of asbestos, and after some use the wicks become so filled with carbon that suflicient fuel cannot pass through the tubes which must then be replaced by new wick lled tubes.

All generators for lights of this type past and present, have trouble more or less with the orifice clogging. A cleaning Wire to keep the orifice open is furnished with said lights.

An important feature of my invention resides in a structure whereby no obstructions whatever will occur in the generator, this being due to the fact that the tubing is of different sizes and different relative shapes so that the vapor passes through leaving no residue to collect and put the generator out of commission.

Another important feature of my invention resides inv a structure which permits access to all inner parts of the generator to facilitate replacement of any part that may be accidentally damaged. It must be understood that my generator is a non-plugging-up device. It is not a device just to produce hydrocarbon vapor gas to burn in mantles, and in a short time have some part ll with carbon so that the operator would have to throw the whole thing away. This generator will last as long as the metal of which it is made, and can be kept in good working order year 50 in and out if run according to directions. A deviation therefrom will not spoil itvbut may necessitate a little time spent in cleaning.

Other features of my invention, and the advantages thereof, will be explained hereinafter and pointed out in the claims,

Of the accompanying drawing:-

. Figure 1 is a front elevation of so much of one of myr complete lamps as is necessary to an understanding ofthe invention, the fuel reservoir or font, and the shade, being omitted as unnecessary toy illustrate. s

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 represents a verticalsectionfon an. enlarged scale, -of those parts which embody my invention. Y

Similar reference characters indicate similarparts or features in all ofthe views.

Rising from asuitable basefont not shown, is. a supply tubeA I I for the'fuel oil, the upper end of said tube entering a suitable block or bracket I0, in which is mounted the lower end I2 ofthe tubethrough which the fuel passes.' Said `portion I2 is illustrated in Figure3 as removably contain#` ing a wire coil containing-fibrous material such as illustrated and claimed in yLetters Patent No. 1,340,424 issued to me Mayf18, 1920. Such coil may be included or omitted fromthe present structure. `If saidV coil and filling are omitted from the said structure, .the enlarged lower end of said fuel supply tube would be eliminated, and said fuel supply tube would have a fuel inlet hole iive or six thousandths of an inch in'diameter.,

Above the portion I Zthe tube is somewhat con-r tracted as at I3 to `prevent too free passage of fuel through thecoiled portion.,|4. By means of a cup and cone gas tight joint I6, the portionV of the'fuel supply tubeabove thecoil I4 is con-v nected to the'vaporizing tube I8,y a lsuitable con-- necting nut being illustrated at I1, saidvnuten gaging the threadedlower end Aof the tube rI8 asl at|9.

'I'he extended small extreme upper end 'of fuel supply tube I2 projecting into the elongated inside vacant space inthe lower end of the vaporizing tube I8, hasva closed-end and side perforations, and it being alined incl'ose proximity to the inside Wall of said elongatedinside vacant space in tube I8 serves as a coarse-misting tube,` the purposeor object of which'will be explained hereinafter. The upper end ofk the vaporizing tube I8 is connected as by screw-threads. 20, with the lug or top enlargement 25 of the retort`26, or it may be held by friction. 'I'he Vapor -of .fuel passes `through a` port 2| in the enlargement 25 into the retort 2li.`

Fitting lthe inside of the vaporizing `tube is a vapor regulating screw or spiral. 22 hai/ing a larger screw-threaded upper endv 23'engagingl a threaded hole in the enlargementl, this mounting enabling the said screw to be'removedifgnecev essary. Inclosed in the retort 26 is an inner tube 24 having a small hole 21 in one side, and in line with said inner tube 24 is a tube 28 which connects or completes the vapor passage with a suitable air-intake tube 34. The tube 28 has a screw-threaded connection at 29 with the lug or enlargement 25, and its upper end 30 enters the air-tube 34. The lower end of the retort tube 26 is closed by a suitable removable cap 3I.

The mixed air and fuel vapor pass into a chamber 36 where more complete ymixing is effected as is customary in devices of this type, and then through gas tubes 35 to the usual mantles 31.

The general operation of lamps of the type described is so well known that it is unnecessary to herein describe more than the purpose, operation, and advantages of `the `several features of improvements illustrated'.

The small perforated coarse-misting tube I5, extending into the inside vacant space in the vaporizing tube I8 in close proximity to the inside wall of `said tube I8, has a three fold purpose; rst it feeds the fuel from fuel supply tube I2. It does this by perforations in the side wall `of said coarse-misting tube I5, in contact with the boiling and simmering fuel between the hot wall of said coarse-misting tube I5 and 'the inside hot wall of 'the vaporizing tube I8. 'Ihis gives a coarse mist of fuel which is quickly changed to fine fuel vapor.` Second, tube I5 is designed to be in close proximity to the inside Wall of said vaporizing tube ;I8,fto usek the boiling and simmering agitation of fuel to break kthe anty of the flow of fuel, creating an absorbing process to prevent spattering of f uelaway from the hot inside wall of the vaporizing space in the tube I8, thus eliminating adm ixture of both poor and good vaporwhich tends to vadhere to the working parts of this device. Third, coarse-misting tube I5 is designed 'to lbe in close proximity to the insidev w'all of said vaporizing tube I 8, to eliminate the stoppage of fuelthrough its ne perforations by the boiling and simmering agitation of -fuel around said perforations in the vaporizing tube I8. d y

The elongated inside vacant space in the lower end of vaporizing tube I8 between the retarding screw or spiral 22 andthe bottom of tube I8, is designed to giveve'nt to the fuel flashings and compression of vap'orcaused by the quick hange from a coarse mist to a fine vapor of fuel in vaporizing tube "I 8 when in operation. Y

`rIhe portion I3 of the koilfsupply tube, 'which is reduced in size, permits but fa small stream of fuel to pass, thereby enabling that which does pass to kthe coils I4 to be so heated in the coils I4 as to be converted almost, but not quite to vapor in the coils. A

The screw or spiral 22 inside ofthe vaporizing tube I8 is not a vaporizing member. It is a vapor retarding member and is designed solely to retard the pressure of thelfuel fiashings of vapor made in the inside vacant space in the vaporizing tube I8. This causes a steady stream of vapor to pass through said retarding member and through enlargement v25 into theretort 26. This is accomplished by said retarding member 22 having a small passage-way, and a long passage not being subject to vaporization of fuel. It is understood that the vapor is first made in the inside vacant spacein the vaporizing tube before entering the thread in screw or spiral Retort 26 isnot a vaporizing unit. It is an added vapor cleaning unit and B9? @Sellal to vaporization. Retort 26 is designed solely to clean the vapor, to prevent the orifice from getting clogged by dirt which in times past has caused much trouble in all generators of this type of lights.

'I'his cleaning process is accomplished first, by the steady stream of vapor passing through enlargement 25 and entering the large port hole 2I to the outside tube of said cleaning retort 26. 'I'he vapor strikes the outside wall vto inner tube 24 in retort '26, thus retarding the onward pressure of vapor from port 2I, and causing the heavy foreign substance in said vapor to settle down at the bottom of retort tube 26. It is understood that preferably I have a very small entrance hole 21 in inner tube 24 which is located below midway of the inside portion of said inside tube 24. 'I'his is Ato buffet the settling foreignfsubstance from entering said small hole 21 in inner tube 24. Second, the dirt now being trapped, the vapor enters the small hole 21 through inner tube 24 and passes through the orifice in the upper end of the outward portion of said inner tube 24, and thus enters the air tube tothe gas head. Y

yIt is tovbe understood that although I `have describedfm'y invention as particularly a generator for kerosene or gasoline lamps, I do not limit myself to lamps, as said generator may be employed for supplying -fuel to other devices.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

l. In a generator of the character described, a tube for fuel oil, said tube having a cup-shaped upper-end, said cup-shaped upper-end having a coarse-misting tube, one end of which is fastened into said cup-shaped upper-end, Vthe other end of said coarse-misting tube being closed and projecting out of said cup end, said projecting end of said coarse-misting tube being laterally perforated near its closed end.

2. In a generator of the character described, the combination of a tube for fuel oil, said tube having a cup-shaped upper-end, said cup-shaped upper-end having a small coarse-misting tube one end of which is fastened in said cup end, the other end of said coarse-misting tube being closed and projecting out of said cup end and having side perforations near its closed end; and a vaporizing tube having a cone-shaped lower end, ground to fit said cup-shaped end of the tube for fuel oil, saidcone-shaped end of the vaporizing tube having screw-threads adjoining said cone whereby the said coarse-misting tube projects into said vaporizing tube, and a nut f'ltted to the outer surface of said cup, said nut having inner threads to fit the thread adjoining the cone of the vaporizing tube, to draw said cup and cone together; a removably mounted lmember in the upper end of said vaporizing tube to receive the flashings of vapor caused by quick vaporization in said inside elongated vacant space in said vaporizing tube, to smooth the vapor by retarding the fiow thereof, a vapor cleaning retort coupled to said vaporizing tube and arranged in such a way that when the vapor passes through the entrance to said retort, said vapor strikes a member in said retort which retards the onward pressure of said vapor, thereby causing the heavy part of said vapor to settle down; a buieting outlet hole in said retort arranged in such a way as 'to take only the light clean part of said vapor into an outlet tube connected to said retort, said connected outlet tube having the final orifice.

3. In a generator of the character described, comprising a vaporizing tube, a vapor cleaning retort, comprising vertically, concentrically mounted, tubular members, the inner tubular member being perforated intermediate its ends, means closing the lower end of both tubular members, the outer tubular member communieating with said vaporizingtube adjacent to its upper end, and the inner tubular member being adapted to communicate at its upper end with a burner.

4. In a generator of the character described, the combination of a tube for fuel, said tube having a cup-shaped upper end, said cup-shaped upper end having a small coarse-misting tube, one end of which is fastened into said cup end, the other end being closed and projecting out of said cup end, and having two squarely drilled coarse-misting outlets on opposite sides of said projecting end; a vaporizing tube having an elongated inside vacant space in its lower end, and a vapor retarding member in its upper end; said fuel supply tube adapted to enter a hole in the lower end of said Vaporizing tube in connection when in' operation, with boiling and simmering fuel agitation around the outlet holes of said coarse-mistng projecting end, said coarsemisting projecting end being aligned in close proximity to the inside Wall of said vaporizing tube.

THOMAS H. STAFFORD. 

